In the News

Marathon Drugs Increases Price 70-Fold – 2/10/17 More predation by pharma. Marathon has gotten a decades old muscular dystrophy drug, deflazacort, approved and is charging $89,000 a year for it. It’s price in Europe is under $1500/year. Where are the free market forces? Why aren’t our elected officials protecting us from this egregious practice?

Promising New Prostate Cancer Treatment – 2/2/17 A new and very effective prostate cancer treatment, reported here, has a two-year relapse rate of around 25%. Though clearly not a cure, it has a major benefit in that, unlike all other treatments, it has no. Light fibres are inserted in the prostate, rather like a biopsy, and a light-sensitive drug is administered. The cancerous tissue is killed, and all else left alone. Would certainly be worth a try.

Hypertension Developing Late in Life Halves Onset of Dementia – 1/21/17 Research here indicate that people who develop hypertension in late in life has almost half the reate of dementia. Yet more proof that hypertension has a purpose and unless it is off the charts, is best left alone.

Lowest Stroke Rates in Older Baby Boomers; Younger People Rising– 9/12/16 reports the American Heart Association, here. There could be numerous factors at work. Less smoking among the baby boomers and less healthy diet among the young would be our guess.

Sugar Lobby Promotes Sugar– 11/13/16 Surreal. JAMA reports here that the sugar lobby has been systematically attempting to put the blame for heart diseases on something other than sugar. What were they supposed to do? They’re the sugar lobby. The real question is, “Why did Standard Medicine buy it?”

Zika Breakthrough– 8/30/16 Reported here and elsewhere, two existing (already approved) drugs appear to be effective against Zika. If this pans out, it will speed things up immeasurably.

AHA Limits Added Sugar– 8/17/16 A sensible recommendation from the American Heart Association limits sugar for children aged 2-18 to fewer than 6 teaspoons a day. Paper here. A better recommendation: Fewer than 0 teaspoons added sugar per day for all children aged 0-110.

Calcium Supplements Linked to Dementia– 8/17/16 A report in the journal Neurology, here, links calcium supplements to dementia in some groups of women. The risk, alarmingly, is double for this group.

Suppression of Antioxidants Kills Pancreatic Cancer cells– 7/28/16 Researchers at Cold Springs Harbor Labs find that antioxidants are, in some cases, aiding cancer, and by suppressing the antioxidants, the oxidants are then able to kill the cancer. Link here.

High Cholesterol Found to be Cancer Protective– 7/9/16 A study presented at a British Cardiovascular Society Conference, link here, finds that high cholesterol is significantly protective for four common cancers: breast, prostate, lung, and colorectal. Reasons for this are unknown.

Zinc Acetate Lozenges Reduce Length of Common Cold– 7/6/16 Zinc for a cold is a Dr. Mike favorite. Here’s some science to back it up. A study published here finds that Zinc Acetate Lozenges shorten common colds by three days.

BMJ Article: Bad Cholesterol Isn’t Bad After All– 6/13/16 This is huge. In BMJ Open, here, a peer reviewed study finds that high “bad” cholesterol, aka LDL-cholesterol, is inversely associated with mortality. Higher levels=less death. The stuff is good for you. This is heresy of the first water. Expect a huge blow-back. The lipid hypothysis—that high LDL cholesterol causes heart disease—is ingrained in the medical community like an eleventh commandment. It has never been proven, and kudos to BMJ for daring to run this article. (We would crow that we have repeatedly posted that the dangers of LDL cholesterol were nonexistent, but we will be nice and refrain.)

Stem Cell Injection Reversed Strokes– 6/6/16 At Stanford, reported here, stroke patients receiving injection of mesenchymal stem cells directly into the brain experienced, in some cases, dramatic improvement. If this research holds up, this is an astounding result. “This wasn’t just, ‘They couldn’t move their thumb, and now they can.’ Patients who were in wheelchairs are walking now,” said lead researcher Steinberg.

Bariactric Surgery Now Recommended for Diabetes– 5/26/16 The American Diabetes Association (ADA), and other groups, have now endorsed bariactric surgery (stomach stapling) as a treatment for adult onset or type 2 diabetes (ADOM). We are not making this up. Report here. Of course the ADA dietary recommendations are almost guaranteed to prolong AODM, so we suppose some sort of strange logic is at work here. For the surgery-free, drug-free Quantitative Medicine method, click here.

Low Salt May Be Dangerous – 5/20/16 The prestigious British journal Lancet reports here that low salt intake is more dangerous than high intake. This is heresy, of course, and the article, the magazine, and the authors have already been condemned and will be burnt at the stake. The QM view is that high salt intake is a fairly minor factor. In this article, high intake is worse only for those with high blood pressure, whereas low salt intake is dangerous to those with high blood pressure, and those with normal blood pressure. Again, standard-practice medicine has been making things worse.

JAMA Discovers QM – 5/19/16 The prestigious Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) reports here that secession of of smoking, non-heavy drinking, and exercise reduce cancer. Now while it’s wonderful that they have now seen the light, or at least are circling around it, hasn’t this been obvious for the last 50 years? They studied only white males. Are they setting us up for a sequel? Let’s spoil that one: it works for everybody.

Calcium/Vitamin D Causes a Stroke or Heart Attack for Each Fracture prevented – 5/12/16 From a Norwegian study reported here, “Our analysis shows that if 100,000 65-year-old women take 1000 mg calcium every day, 5890 hip fractures and 3820 other fractures would be prevented. On the other hand, as many as 5917 heart attacks and 4373 strokes could be caused.” A horrid tradeoff made worse by the fact that osteoporosis is easily prevented and reversed with no supplements needed. See posts here, here, and here

Medical Error Third Leading Cause of Death in U.S. – 5/3/16 This is not news. As a leading cause of death in hospitals,medical error has been a focal area for almost 20 years. However, findings published here in the British Medical Journal.indicate the the problem is far from solved. Deaths due to medical error represent around 10% of deaths, some 250,000. One problem, according to the article, is that adequate records aren’t kept: the deaths are often attributed to something else. Best strategy: stay out of hospitals.

Big Pharma to World: Take Something! – 4/21/16 From JAMA, here, a trial was conducted for patients who couldn’t tolerate stains.(42%, in fact). The “solution” was to give them ezetimibe, a drug with no known benefit and some probably harm, a drug currently approved for a very, very narrow cohort of off-the-charts high cholesterol. Only 27% could not stand this drug, so the trial was considered a success. The drug industry seems insistent on cramming ezetimibe down our throats. To even embark on this strange experiment shows a callousness and disregard for patient benefit that surprises even us.

Is Fructose Highly Dangerous? – 4/21/16 Maybe. From UCLA we have a finding that fructose is linked to detrimental changes to hundreds of brain genes. Press release here. Scary stuff, and it makes some sense. The body goes to a lot of trouble to keep dietary fructose out of circulation, converting most of it to a concentrated form of glucose called glycogen, and rapidly removing any excess that does get into circulation. The reason for this aversion to fructose is not known, but the research sited above may provide a significant clue. Besides a major sugar component of fruit, table sugar is a 50-50 mix of fructose and glucose, as is high-fructose corn syrup, a ubiquitous food additive.

Are Proton Pump Inhibitors Overprescribed? – 4/15/16 A new report In the Journal of the American Society of Nephrolog seems to indicate that long term use of proton pump inhibitors, which significant reduce stomach acidity, causes increased kidney disease. Such drugs are widely prescribed and are also available over-the-counter. Though likely safe for short-term use, longer term consumption seems to have problems.

FDA Pulls Plug on Combo Drug – 4/15/16 In a rare glimmer of sanity, the FDA has withdrawn approval on a drug called Niaspan, which is a combination of statins and niacin. The approval was made in 1997. Given that is know that statins are practically useless, and that niacin actually increases heart problems, you may wonder what they were waiting for. So do we.Might they now consider the rest of the dangerous drugs out there? Details here.

Interesting Alzheimer’s-Insulin Result – 4/13/16 An NYU business school researcher has connected some interesting dots. It is well know that high insulin is involved in Alzheimers, but the connection wasn’t clear. It seems that the enzyme that breaks down insulin is the same one that breaks down amyloid-beta plaque, the tangled mess that is a hallmark of Alzheimer’s. Schiller’s idea is that perhaps the all the enzyme resources are spent on the high insulin, and the amyoid-beta doesn’t get removed. Details here.

Another Early Cancer Detection Breakthrough – 4/8/16 Researchers at Case Western Reserve University in Cleveland, OH, have created an optical biosensor for cancer detection that is a million times more sensitive than previous versions, pointing the way toward an effective early detection system for cancer and other illnesses.This might greatly improve early detection, which is ket to fighting cancer.Details here.

Choral Singing May Reduce Cancer – 4/5/16Researchers in Wales have determined that choral group singing improves levels of several anti-cancer hormones and biochemicals. Paper can be found here. In view of the next news item, the song Java Jive should probably be included in the repertoire.

Coffee Reduces Colorectal Cancer 50% – 4/1/16 Researchers at USC report “We found that drinking coffee is associated with lower risk of colorectal cancer, and the more coffee consumed, the lower the risk.” The press release is here. Dramatics reductions of up to 50% were seen. This area has been controversial for 20 years. The mechanism of cancer prevention is unknown, though it doesn’t seem to be caffeine, as decaf works as well.

Early Cancer Detection Breakthrough – 3/29/16Researchers at UCLA have developed a PET probe capable of producing far better images in certain types of cancers. With cancer, early detection is key. Clinical trials of the procedure may begin this year. Further info here.

Blonds Found to Be Non-Dumb – 3/23/16 A study here has found that blonds have a slightly higher IQ that non-blond people.Quoting,”Blonde women have a higher mean IQ than women with brown, red and black hair. Blondes are more likely classified as geniuses and less likely to have extremely low IQ.” It is hard to predict what researchers will think of to do research on. How about: “Do Blonds Have More Fun?”

Meal Time More Important Than Previously Thought – 3/17/16 Every traveler know that disrupting the circadian rhythm—the sleep cycle— is no picnic. New research from the Weizmann Institute indicates that not only is the body locked into this cycle, but even our mitochondria are. Mitochondria are tiny bacterial like cells found within almost all our own cells that convert the food we eat to energy. They apparently have time-driven hungry states, wherein they are ready and willing to convert the food to energy, and sleepy state as well. This means having meals at a regular time is more critical than previously thought.

Alzheimer’s and Brain Research – 3/17/16 There are almost daily reports of discoveries or possible breakthroughs involving Alzheimer’s and the brain. Just today, there are three such reports, all on mice, and so it is unknown if the results would carry over. There are reports of new neurons grown from stem cells, lost memories reactivate through light flashes, and increasing available neural energy by injecting pyruvate, an intermediate of glucose metabolism. A very active area.

Antidepressants Increase Mortality – 3/16/16 A study from Auburn and University of Alabama show a slight increase in mortality with uses of second generation anti-depressants.Report here. Knowledge of this will likely offset any anti-depression benefit as well. I much stronger anti-depressant that features a very strong reduction of mortality is exercise.

Canadian Medicine Discovers Exercise – 3/14/16 Canadian Medical Association announces: “Many doctors and their patients aren’t aware that exercise is a treatment for these chronic conditions and can provide as much benefit as drugs or surgery, and typically with fewer harms.” Not really. It actually provides A LOT MORE benefit. Bit it’s a step for organized medicine. Next week: hot water.

Exercise Reduces Alzheimer’s 50% – 3/11/16 No surprise at our end. But here, another study demonstrates the most effect way to prevent Alzheimer’s.

Alzheimer’s Caused By Microbes? – 3/10/16 Researchers have reported that a virus and two types of bacteria are a major cause of Alzheimers. A microbial connection has been (and probably will remain) controversial. However, the causes of Alzheimer’s are not known.

Magic Pill Announced – 3/4/16 Drug companies adore lifelong drugs, and the latest “breakthrough” combines statins, blood pressure reducers, aspirin, and adult onset diabetes medication, and is called a Polypill. However none of these four have shown any mortality benefit, and all of them have serious side effects. But in combination, they are suddenly magical? The idea seems to be to get rid of screening and blood testa altogether, and put everyone over 50 on this pill. This idea is so bad, it would be praising it to call it crazy.

Breast Cancer Breakthrough – 3/3/16 A new drug combo is very effective against the HER-2 variant of breast cancer. A fourth of those treated saw dramatic reduction in tumor size, while in an additional 11% the tumor completely disappeared, in under two weeks. Details here.

Television Exposure Directly Linked To A Thin Body Ideal In Women – 2/22/16 The only real question here is: Are they paying grown-ups to come up with this? It’s a real study. Details here. What will they study next? How about: Driving Blindfolded May Increase Accident Risk.

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Colonoscopy Wars

Long, long ago, in a galaxy far, far away, the Gastroenterology Empire’s primary weapon (and cash cow), the colonoscopy, was threatened by a Rebel Alliance of Radiologists. The result: Colonoscopy Wars!

A colonoscopy is strongly suggested for those over 50 (those over 40 would benefit) as it allows colon cancer to be detected, and like many cancers, eminently curable if detected early, and often fatal if not. The benefit here is well worth the unpleasantness of the procedure.

What does a colonoscopy do? It takes a look. There are two ways. Take an inside look by inserting a long tube-like gadget with a light, a camera, and a snipper into the colon. This is the “optical” method. Alternatively, the colon can be examined with a CT (“cat”) scan. This got named “Virtual Colonoscopy,” an unfortunate choice of terminology as it implies that it somehow isn’t real.

The cat scan is a radiology invention, and their intrusion into the sacred turf of the traditional $3000 colonoscopy was not well received. The battle was on. Technical papers were generated and hurled into the medical community with all due haste and vigor. Tempers flared. Stethoscopes slung.

Although the battle rages on, the Supreme Medical Dictator, (the insurance industry), seems to have ruled in favor of the optical variety. Specifically, although some private insurance covers a virtual colonoscopy, Medicare does not. An optical colonoscopy is always covered by both if you are over 50. This would seem to settle it. But, as it turns out, each side has several indisputable pros and cons.

Pros for Virtual

Cheaper $500 versus $3000

Less Unpleasant

No general (or semi-general) anesthesia

Able to look at both the inside and outside of the colon

Cons for Virtual

Unable to take samples of suspicious areas (polyps). If any are spotted, an optical colonoscopy will then be needed.

Insurance doesn’t cover it

Radiation exposure

Pros for Optical

Usually insured, though there may be a several hundred-dollar copay.

Able to collect samples of suspicious areas for later analysis

Able to find some very early stage cancers (called flat lesions) that the virtual colonoscopy cannot

No radiation exposure

Cons for Optical

Depending on a physician’s predisposition, you will hear one method or the other touted as the “right” way. However, in terms of finding polyps, they are rather fairly equivalent. Furthermore, the radiation involved in the virtual method, if done with the latest model machine, is quite low, and the resolution is getting better and better. A CT or “cat” scan is an X-ray. It moves the X-ray around the patient mechanically, shooting a narrow beam through the patient from all angles.

Anyone going the “virtual” route should ask about the machine. Here are the questions to ask: First, try to find a center with an EBT machine. These are few and far between, but such machines move the X-ray beam electronically, which is much faster, and hence results in much less exposure. If no EBT machines are to be found, seek a CT (“cat”) machine with 256 slices or more. Cat machine are measured in slices, which basically means how many simultaneous X-ray images they can take as once. The more the better. A 256 slice machine exposes the patient to only a sixteenth the radiation as an older 16 slice machine. Actually, it’s lower still as sensor technology has improved as well. The 256 slice machines have such a low exposure that they are unlikely to cause any problems.

It seems to us that one might initially opt for the virtual version, but switch to the optical one if any problems were ever spotted. In any case, the overriding advice is: “do one of them.”

Why Bother with a Colonoscopy?

Colon cells are short-lived, turning over about every six days. This means very active replacement is going on, and hence a cancer risk. The stem cells that generate these replacement cells reside in “crypts,” small protected pouches found throughout the small intestine, colon, and rectum.

Should these cells become pre-cancerous, they will leave the crypt and erupt out of it. At this point it is called an adenoma and resembles a small bump. The bump can grow larger into a mushroom-like structure called a polyp. It is not necessarily cancerous at this time. In an optical colonoscopy, these are usually snipped off and examined. Less than 10% of polyps become cancerous, but virtually all colorectal cancer starts out as a polyp. Well, actually it starts as the aforementioned “bump,” which is where the issue of “flat’ lesions” comes up.

A cancerous polyp will initially be contained within the intestine (and easily treated), but with time, may grow through the intestinal wall or spread into the circulatory or lymphatic system (metastasize).

Screening for colon cancer means having a colonoscopy. Officially, this isn’t recommended for people under 50, but this is a mistake. A full 20% of people between 40 and 50 have some sort of abnormality that may become cancerous. This fact is known, but the medical reasoning is that it will be caught when these people have a colonoscopy at age 50. The insurance companies won’t pay, which seem a mistake, as early detection would save a lot of money (and lives.).

What Causes Colon Cancer

Not red meat. At least not healthily produced red meat. To look at associations of food with colon cancer, go to our China Study app, found here, select M029: COLORECTAL CANCER AGE 35-69 in the mortality box, and select a dietary item in the DIET box, for instance, D050: RED MEAT. Then click Plot. If the green trend line slopes down, it mean that more of the dietary item is associated with less of the mortality cause. I.e. the dietary item is protective. It the trend-line is upward, the dietary item associates with increased death. If the trend-line is flat, then no association. For red meat, the trend-line is flat, meaning no association.

Stool Samples

We started the post with galactic conflict, and will end it with the occult.

A third and completely non-intrusive method to screen is the Occult Fecal Sample. A stool sample from a cancerous colon may contain blood. No sorcerers are needed here. “Occult” simply mean hidden. I.e. a slight amount. The bleeding could come from anywhere in the digestive tract, starting with the mouth. There are other tests that may be performed on a stool sample.

Currently this sort of screening is not nearly as good at detecting cancer as either of the colonoscopies, but this could change as technology marches on. It is almost a certainty that cancerous material in the colon would find its way into a stool and potentially be detectable.

From Dr. Mike:

And this is where the coda to this piece comes in: yes, there are many emerging DNA based tests that look promising for early detection but we are not quit reliably there yet. And, yes, the above referenced ‘flat lesions’ are an argument for getting the optical scope—interesting side note: ‘flat lesions’ didn’t start showing up in the gastroenterology literature until the turf war between radiologists and gastroenterologists started heating up—however, if there is any hesitancy about getting an optical colonoscopy then get the virtual one. And as no one pays for colonoscopy for those under 50 get the virtual one and just pay for it.

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New App

We have created a free iPhone shopping list app for the book Eat Real Vietnamese Food. It contains ingredient list for all the recipes and will populate the shopping list with the desired serving amount. It is also usable as a general purpose shopping app. Search “Eat Real Food Vietnam” in the App store. Similar app under development for Eat Real Food or Else.

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Why does Quantitative Medicine work?

Many sites offer nice-sounding advice about nutrition and exercise, but almost none have actually put this advice to work in a large-scale clinical setting. Starting in the late 90s, Dr. Mike Nichols operated a clinic wherein each patient was quantified with blood tests and other measurements, and an optimum diet and exercise regime suggested.
This became a continual process and Dr. Mike has accumulated data on hundreds of people for almost 20 years. At this point in the process, he knows what works, what doesn’t, how to restore health, slow aging, and block degenerative disease. But the formula is different for everyone, and without measurement, lifestyle recommendations are just a medical guessing game. Is Paleo best? For some, sure. But without measurement, there is no way to tell.
But more importantly, when the optimum lifestyle is determined, implemented, and actually achieved, almost all people get well, and life’s chronic diseases are slowed, often reversed.
This is no idle claim or hopeful promise. This has already worked in a clinical setting, long-term and with real people. Given how different people are, it is folly to try to apply a one-size-fits-all set of recommendations. The sooner this is realized, the faster the planet will get well. Quantitative Medicine is the future.

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Mike Nichols, M.D.

Charles Davis, Ph.D.

What Is Quantitative Medicine?

Quantitative medicine is the practice of determining and modifying your health guided by direct measurement of meaningful biological markers. Everyone is different. The best diet is unique to each of us. Diet markers must be directly and precisely measured.

Why Are We Doing This?

My practice has been highly successful. Many many people have gotten well, have avoided degenerative diseases, have extended their lives. But my practice is full.
By starting this blog, I am taking the first steps to make Quantitative Medicine available to everyone. You, the patient, supply the self-discipline, physical, mental, and spiritual perseverance, and we will supply the information and resources you need to realize the full benefits of Quantitative Medicine.
By measurement, an optimally healthy lifestyle can be determined for anyone. The results are profound and pervasive. Degenerative disease is prevented or rolled back. Longevity – healthy active longevity – is increased. This has worked for over 2000 patients.
This blog is just starting. There will be videos, books, ebooks, ebooklets, on-line analysis tools, in short, everything you will need. Some will be free, and some will not. None of it, though, will be expensive.
For now we are just getting started. A lot more information is coming, so please stay tuned.